Ferentz on Scherff

This really should work.

Brandon Scherff is a 6-foot-6, 300-pounder who played quarterback for Denison-Schleswig High School midway through his junior year. He switched to tight end and defensive end last year. He just got too big and his college football future came into focus. He also plays hoops for the Monarchs and helped D-S to the state baseball tournament last summer.

This is a good athlete in a lineman's body, one that has yet to go through a weightroom season at Iowa. He comes to Iowa with all the classic offers for a big lineman from the midlands area -- Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri.

He comes to Iowa City listed at 6-5, 310. That could change when he gets the Iowa City measurement, but it's a good start for a future O-lineman.

Links -- Here's a signing day story from the Bulletin-Review of southwest Iowa, I'm sure the hometown paper. . . . Here's a signing day story and video from KTIV, the TV station for the Siouxland area. . . . I'm not sure what this is, but it looks like a commitment story written by Scherff. . . . Here's a photo of Scherff on his visit to Nebraska last spring.

Bio -- From UI sports info: High school honors - - Earned first team all-state honors on offense as a senior . . . second team all-state on defense as a junior . . . earned first team all-district honors on offense as a senior and on defense as a junior . . . Career - - offensive and defensive lineman in final two seasons after playing quarterback as a sophomore . . . collected 31 solo tackles and 51 assists with 16 tackles for loss as a senior . . . had 200 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions as a junior, along with 30 solo tackles and 45 assists on defense . . . passed for 1,200 yards as a sophomore . . . team captain as a senior, helping team advance to state playoffs . . . varsity letterman in baseball since freshman season, earning first team all-district, all-conference and all-state honors . . . helped prep baseball team advance to state tournament as a junior . . . also second team all-conference basketball selection as a junior and earned varsity letter in tennis as a freshman . . . also competes in track, earning all-state recognition as well . . . won state title in shot put as a sophomore, while placing third as a freshman and second as a junior . . . placed second in shot put at Drake Relays as sophomore and junior . . . holds school shot put record . . . placed fifth in state meet as a junior in discus.

Personal - - Born 12/26/91 . . . open major . . . academic all-district in football . . . parents are Cindy and Bob Scherff . . . high school coach was Dave Wiebers.

Ferentz on -- With the early departure of Bryan Bulaga (that's looking better and better everyday, BTW), Ferentz was asked if either of the OL signed with this class -- Scherff or Andrew Donnal -- will be depended on for depth: "We'll see. With Bulaga really being the exception, Brian came in and played a lot as a freshman. But that's so uncommon. For us, if we're counting on that, then we're really screwed up. And if it happens, that's a good thing. But I think realistically, we're hopeful they can come in get their feet on the ground. If they can contribute a little bit, great. But I think more importantly a year from spring, hopefully they'll be right in the thick of things. And they're two guys we're real excited about, too. I think they've got great potential. So that's the good news, but I hate for any incoming player to feel like, boy, they've got to come in and save our football team. Hopefully we'll get some guys to make contributions. I think that will be the case.

"But it's kind of like summer school. I just don't think you put that kind of pressure on a first-year guy and if it happens, beautiful. But if it doesn't, too, you know we're just trying to get their feet on the ground get them going in the right direction."

In other words, no.

Projection is fun -- I believe Scherff will redshirt and then I'm kind of 50-50 between tackle and guard.

His athletic background makes me think maybe a right tackle in combo with Donnal on the left. That's not saying Scherff couldn't be the left tackle. I kind of threw that out the door when Iowa lined up Marshal Yanda there and then the Baltimore Ravens had him at right tackle. Teams don't need a 6-6 left tackle, but that is the prototype.

Scherff could also be a mauler on the inside. Eric Steinbach, Iowa's best guard in the Ferentz era, was an athlete before he was a hulk. Scherff could fit that mold, a guard who can be a threat on the double team up to the linebacker. (Steinbach was a freak, though. NFL Strong and nearly TE fast, so I'm not getting too far ahead.)